Maybe It's Fate
by cpdfan4
Summary: AU Linstead! Erin and Jay meet on a flight to Florida and realize they're about to board the same cruise.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hi lovelies! Here's a new one for y'all :) and I know I need to be working on IOYO and All In but I've lost all writing inspo/motivation lately. Here's to hoping this new story sparks it up again. If this continues, it'll be a short one, probably 4-5 chapters max so let me know if you want me to keep writing it! REVIEW PLEASE; Motivate me againnnn :) xo_

 _PS I own nothing, as usual._

"16C…" Erin Lindsay muttered to herself as she walked down the plane aisle in search of her row. She spotted her seat and breathed a sigh of relief that the entire row was empty as she took her window seat, shoving her carry on bag under the seat in front of her. She buckled her seatbelt and leaned back in the seat, her eyes falling shut as soon as her head hit the headrest behind her. She wasn't a morning person and the 4:00 am wakeup call for her flight to Florida had come way sooner than she would have liked.

She opened her eyes again when she heard movement next to her, turning her head to see a (very attractive) man taking the seat next to her. She offered him a small smile that he returned before looking out the window of the plane to the airport runway. Her thoughts drifted to how excited she was for the upcoming week. She'd be spending the next five days on an all-inclusive cruise far away from the criminals and cold weather of Chicago. Due to her near perfect attendance record at work Hank had put her on forced furlough and required her to take the week off, demanding she needed the rest. When she had vented to her friend Annie about how stupid the furlough rule was, Annie had recommended the trip to Erin, having had taken herself and Travis on the same cruise ship a few months earlier. Erin had looked into the cruise - a five-day, four-night journey that departed from Miami and visited Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau, and decided to book it. She had absolutely nothing to do in Chicago during that week - all of her friends would be at work – and after her recent breakup with Kelly, she needed a change of scenery to get her mind off things.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the plane took off and Erin smiled at the feeling of freedom flying through the air always gave her. It was only a three hour flight and once the plane was at cruising altitude, Erin reached into her bag for her laptop so she could watch Netflix to pass the time.

She was browsing through the Netflix homepage trying to decide on a movie to watch when she heard the man next to her say something.

"What?" she asked, taking one of her ear buds out as she turned her attention to him.

"Breaking Bad," he repeated, pointing to her screen. "Great show."

Erin raised an eyebrow as she glanced at her computer screen then back to him, noticing his blue eyes for the first time. _Fuck, he was attractive._ She couldn't even be mad he was watching what she was doing. "Do you want to watch?" she asked, offering him an ear bud.

"Really?" he asked, looking surprised. "I'm Jay, by the way."

"Erin," she introduced herself with a smile. He smiled back at her as he took the ear bud out of her hand and put it in his left ear and she clicked on the first episode of the series.

Two and a half episodes later, the pilot came over the speakers and told the passengers to prepare for landing. Jay returned Erin's ear bud and she packed her computer away, turning to look at him again once she was done.

"You're right, that was good." Erin admitted.

"I told you," he laughed at her original distrust, his eyes sparkling.

"So, Jay, what are you doing in Miami?" Erin asked. She normally wasn't so open to talking to strangers, but there was just something about this man. And he seemed equally as eager to talk to her.

"I'm going on a cruise. I got hurt at work and couldn't think of a better way to spend medical leave than away from the cold Chicago winter." Jay explained. "What about you, Erin?"

Erin's eyes widened and she tightened her lips in an effort to stop her jaw from dropping. "I'm going on a cruise too," she watched his eyes widen to a size equally as large as hers and bit back a laugh. "My boss put me on forced furlough… and well, I hate Chicago winters too."

"Forced furlough?" Jay asked. "You work for the government?"

Erin nodded. "I'm a detective."

"Me too," Jay responded, and Erin's jaw dropped this time. What the hell was happening?

"What?" she asked. She _had_ to have heard him wrong.

"I'm a detective. Gang Unit, 15th district." Jay repeated, laughing at Erin's face but feeling just as shocked on the inside.

"Intelligence Unit, 21st district." Erin replied once she found her voice.

"Damn, the big dogs," Jay nodded his approval. "So what cruise are you going on?"

Erin blushed at his compliment. She knew IU was one of the best units in the city, but it always made her proud when someone else recognized it as well. "Carnival Sensation."

"You're kidding." Jay challenged.

Erin shook her head. "Don't tell me that's your ship too."

"Why? You don't want to spend five days with me?" Jay feigned hurt.

"It's not that," Erin laughed, surprised at just how eager she _was_ to spend the next five days getting to know this man. "This is just crazy." This was the type of thing you read about in cheesy novels or saw in the stupid rom-coms Kim always drug her to see.

Jay shrugged, his blue eyes still sparkling. "Maybe it's fate,"

Erin had to fight back an eye roll at how much of a flirt he was, but she didn't exactly hate it. Things between her and Kelly had been so bad for so long she'd almost forgotten what it was like to have someone look at her the way Jay was. They jolted forward as the plane hit the ground and Erin reached into her pocket to grab her phone. "At least the Uber to the cruise port will be cheaper now," she opened her Uber app and ordered a car, passing the phone to Jay. "Split fare with me."

"Sneaky way to get my number," Jay winked at her as he entered his cell number into the app.

Erin actually did roll her eyes this time, but couldn't hide the smirk playing on her lips as she took her phone back. The plane reached the gate and everyone around them stood up to exit so they followed suit. It turned out Jay was a light packer as well – you didn't exactly need a lot of clothes when you planned to spend the next five days on the beach – and they didn't need to wait at baggage claim, both having only their carry on bags.

"White Honda Civic," Erin announced as she glanced back down at her phone and saw that the Uber had arrived. The Florida humidity hit them in the face as soon as they stepped out of the airport and they both simultaneously moaned at how good the sun felt on their skin.

Jay spotted the white car near the curb and pointed it out to Erin, placing a hand on the small of her back to push her toward the car and avoid separation in the crowd of strangers. It was an innocent act but Erin had to hold in a gasp at the spark she felt when his fingers touched her thin shirt. _Shit._ Jay opened the back door of the small car for Erin before getting in himself, and they both offered a smile to the older driver as he turned to face them.

"Carnival Cruise Terminal?" the driver asked, and Erin nodded as she reached into her bag for a bottle of water. "Honeymoon?" he continued.

Erin nearly spit out the water she'd just sipped as Jay's jaw dropped, similar to how it had on the plane earlier. "No," Jay said quickly, his cheeks reddening as he looked at the woman next to him who he'd barely known for three hours.

The driver chuckled but said no more as he turned back around and shifted the car into drive, beginning the final leg of their journey.

"Don't sound so disgusted," Erin smirked at Jay, glad to finally have her turn to tease.

Jay raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to respond when their driver interrupted them again.

"I was only asking because I drove a couple home from the port a few weeks ago who raved about Carnival's honeymoon suites. Was hoping I could give you guys the good news. Free champagne and chocolate covered strawberries every night apparently," the older man said with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah?" Jay asked, eyebrows still raised as he leaned forward towards the center console to get closer to the driver.

"Mhm," the driver nodded. "They talked about lots of spa discounts, some restaurant deals…" His voice trailed off as he pulled up to the port and parked the car on the side of the road.

"Thank you," Erin said with a laugh as she reached for the door handle and let herself out of the car, waiting for Jay to follow.

"So," he began before he was even fully out of the vehicle. "Let's pretend we're married."

" _What?_ " Erin exclaimed, louder than she meant to, earning stares from people walking by.

"Ten minutes ago you basically said you wouldn't hate it!" Jay fought back, motioning for her to start walking towards the ship. "Come on. We look cute together when we check in, ask them to upgrade our reservation to honeymoon. We don't even have to see each other after. Come on, Erin. _Spa discounts._ Chocolate strawberries."

"There's no way that would work! People book their honeymoons _months_ in advance. You can't just walk up to the port and request a honeymoon suite!" Erin couldn't believe they were having this argument. Couldn't believe there was a little voice in the back of her mind screaming at her to agree to this.

"It can't hurt to ask!" Jay disputed as the ship came into view.

"I don't have a ring," Erin sighed, but Jay could see she was beginning to concede.

"We're spending the next week in the ocean. You didn't want to lose it. Understandable." Jay explained as he fished his passport and boarding ticket out of his backpack.

"Jay," Erin sighed again as she copied his actions and retrieved her passport and ticket. This would _never_ work. "You said we don't have to see each other after. That's not true. We would be sharing a room-"

"Erin, I'll sleep on the couch. Come _on._ " Without warning, he reached for her hand and pulled her down the dock. Sparks again. _Damnit,_ Erin thought. She didn't know why she was even fighting this so hard. She did know, however, if this did happen, she wasn't about to make him sleep on a couch.

"Fine," Erin let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You can ask."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys! So if anyone follows me on Tumblr, you probably know that I have absolutely 0 interest or inspo for writing rn but I've been trying sooo hard to get something out for you guys! This is definitely not my best writing, but hopefully it will do for now. I love you guys, thanks for sticking around! Xo_

 _I don't own anything, as per usual!_

Despite Erin's argument that there was no way in hell you could walk up to the boarding gate of a cruise and successfully request a honeymoon suite, Jay had done it. He'd used those baby blues and his goofy smile to charm the agent and somehow ended up with a room key to the biggest cabin on the ship. This upgrade came free of charge, no less. He had somehow managed to convince the agent that there had been a booking discrepancy and he and Erin were _positive_ that they had booked a honeymoon package and he had absolutely no idea why their reservations were showing them assigned to two different rooms. Erin had watched from off to the side as he used his bribery tactics, which she was sure he picked up as a fellow detective, on the older woman at the gate.

"Come on, Barbara. Imagine having to spend your honeymoon in a twin-sized bed because of a system error?" Erin tried to bite back a laugh at the words exiting Jay's mouth but just him mentioninga bed got her hot and bothered. She wasn't sure what was going to happen if they did end up sharing a California king. She could feel her cheeks flush at the thought and internally scolded herself. _Get it together, Erin, Jesus. You've known the man for 4 hours,_ she thought. In an effort to distract herself, she'd pulled out her phone to text Hank and Annie that she'd landed and was about to board the ship.

"Hey, babe?" Erin heard the words but didn't think anything of it.

"Babe?" Again.

" _Erin?_ " The voice got louder, and eventually Jay was standing next to her, a room key in his hand and a shit-eating grin on his face. She looked up from her phone and felt her cheeks reddening immediately, both from how sexy the word sounded rolling off of Jay's tongue and also because she hadn't realized he'd been addressing her.

"Sorry," she couldn't help but smile at the grin on his face as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. "Did you get it?"

"Oh yeah," Jay's smile widened as he dangled the key card in front of her face. "It's called the 'Honeymoon Deluxe' cabin. Largest on the ship,"

"What did you do to that poor woman?" Erin shook her head in disbelief as she turned around to glance at the agent, who was now staring at the "couple".

"I'm quite persuasive, ya know," Jay winked as he motioned for Erin to start walking again and grabbed her hand as they walked past the agent again, intertwining their fingers.

"Oh, are you?" Erin asked, unintentionally rolling her eyes as she tried to suppress thoughts about how natural this hand-in-hand stroll felt.

Jay just nodded as he finally led her onto the ship. He dropped her hand once they reached the deck and Erin tried to ignore how she suddenly felt cold, despite the hot Florida sun.

"Now what?" Erin asked, looking around the main deck. She'd never been on a boat before, let alone something like this monstrosity.

"Let's find the room, eat some of those chocolate strawberries I've heard so much about and then, as promised, I'll leave you alone to enjoy your vacation," Jay winked as he began walking again on a mission to find their cabin.

Erin opened her mouth to object and tell Jay that him leaving her alone was the last thing she wanted now, but no words came out. She reminded herself that she'd just broken up with Kelly and she'd barely known Jay for four hours. She didn't even know his last name – which she guessed was also technically _her_ last name at this moment. That last thought was enough to make her internally roll her eyes. What was she doing? This was ridiculous. She was pretending to be some stranger's _wife_ in order for a few free gourmet desserts and a cheap massage.

"Are you coming?" Jay's voice brought Erin back to reality and she internally screamed to silence the devil on her shoulder. She felt her cheeks flush again as she looked up to see him a few steps ahead of her, looking at her expectedly, his big blue eyes boring into her.

"Yeah, sorry," Erin smiled up at Jay as she tried to mask the doubt in her eyes, and then quickly began walking to catch up to him. "Do you know where the room is?"

"Nah," Jay shook his head as he led them towards a big blue sign that said CABINS with an arrow. "All I know is upper deck, best view on the ship."

Erin couldn't help but smile again at the goofy grin that appeared on his face as he told her about their room again. "I've never seen anyone so proud of himself," she said with a laugh as they approached the elevator.

"Come on, I have every right to be proud of myself! Just wait until you see this room, Erin!" Jay insisted, pushing the button for the 10th floor as the elevator doors closed in front of them.

"You haven't even seen it yet!" Erin reminded him, the smile on her face equally as wide as Jay's.

"Barbara told me-"

"You're on a first name basis with the gate agent now?" Erin teased.

"You're impossible," Jay said with an eye roll and mock-annoyance that was quickly proven fake by the smile he just couldn't hide.

Erin gave a matching eye roll and was about to retort when the elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing the 10th story of the ship.

"Come on, wifey. Room 1062," Jay announced in a sing-song voice, unconsciously reaching down to grab Erin's hand to lead her out of the elevator.

Their room search would prove to be easy and the door to room 1062 was at the end of the hallway tucked away in it's own little corner, giving the two "lovebirds" their privacy. Erin stood back and let Jay open the door to take in the room first, as this accomplishment was clearly his pride and joy. She heard him gasp the second his head was through the door and followed him through the doorway, her own jaw dropping as well. The room was everything that you would imagine when you heard "honeymoon suite." The bedroom had a king-size bed and a private bathroom with a huge tub, a private balcony with a whirlpool, a living room with a 42" flat screen and entertainment system, a private kitchen, and even a small baby grand piano sitting in the corner. A bottle of champagne in an ice bucket sat next to two champagne flutes on the kitchen counter, the promised platter of chocolate covered strawberries was in the center of the kitchen table, and rose petals in the shape of a heart adorned the huge bed.

"Holy shit," Erin breathed, standing in the middle of the living room and looking around. She had expected to stay in a room the size of a shoebox, with a bed smaller than the one she'd grown up with at Hank's. She was pretty sure this suite was nicer than her apartment.

"Damn," Jay echoed, walking over to the couch that sat in front of the flat screen TV. He dropped his bag onto the cushions then bent down to examine the piece of furniture. "Perfect," he muttered under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Erin asked, unsure what could possibly be the problem with this room.

"No, I wasn't saying it in a bad way," Jay explained as he lifted up the bottom of the couch. "The couch converts into a queen bed, so I don't have to take the floor. My PT would not like that,"

"Jay-" Erin sighed, wanting to tell him that he didn't need to sleep on the floor or the couch, not when there was a king size bed 10 feet away in the next room that was practically begging for use, but once again she just couldn't spit the words out. "That's good," she said quietly, walking into the bedroom to put her own bag down.

"What's your plan for the rest of the day?" Jay asked, making his way over to the kitchen table to test out the much desired chocolate covered strawberries.

"I don't really have one, I was just going to hang by the pool and try to find my way around the ship a little. How about you?" Erin shrugged as she reentered the main living area, a smirk coming to life on her face when she saw Jay stuffing his face with the strawberries. "Worth it?"

"Oh yeah," Jay smiled as well as he could with a full mouth before opening the mini fridge to find a beer. He took out two; quickly opening one can to wash down his morning dessert before offering the second can to Erin.

"Thanks," she said with a giggle that sounded just a little too girly coming from her, causing her to curse herself again. "So your plan?"

"I wanted to hit the gym, gotta keep up with my PT exercises if I want to get back to work on time," Jay sighed, stretching out his shoulder as if to prove a point. "Then I was just going to hang out on deck too, so maybe I'll see you down there?"

Erin nodded, trying to hide the wave of disappointment that hit her at the thought of separating from Jay right now. "Maybe," she sighed. "I'm gonna go change."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Erin lay on a lounge chair at the edge of the ship's main pool, a bottle of Corona in one hand and a book in the other. The book was mainly for decoration, though, as she found herself distracted and unable to focus on the words on the page. Her mind was flipping back and forth between people watching – and silently cursing all of the happy couples that seemed to be everywhere – and thinking about Jay. She audibly groaned, wishing her damn mind would shut off and just let her read this stupid book.

Sighing heavily, Erin opened up the book again and was skimming the page to find where she left off when suddenly a cold wave of water hit her. Her jaw dropped and she looked up angrily, but her features immediately softened when she saw Jay in the pool in front of her chair, his blue eyes sparkling and a childlike grin overtaking his face.

"Found you!" he exclaimed, splashing her again. "Come in,"

Erin rolled her eyes at his childlike enthusiasm as she tried to ignore the butterflies she felt in her stomach. "That was cold," she said, shaking her head.

"Come on, Erin. You're going to let your husband take the first swim of your trip alone?" he pouted, giving the woman puppy dog eyes. When she didn't budge, he climbed out of the pool and stood over her chair.

"Come on," he tried again, grabbing her hand.

"Jay, it's cold," she repeated but didn't pull away.

"Fine," Jay backed up like he was going to retreat but then in one swift movement; he turned around and was lifting her off of the chair.

"Jay!" she squealed, holding on to his wet body for dear life as she was slung over his shoulder. "Put me down, you're going to hurt your shoulder even more!"

"You weigh like 20 pounds," Jay laughed, tightening his grip around her. "Ready?"

"I'm going to kill-" Erin began, but before she could finish her sentence, she was submerged underwater.

"You're an ass!" she exclaimed the second she came up for ear, but she wasn't very convincing at getting her anger across with the huge grin on her face.

"You're hot when you're wet. And angry," Jay said with a raise of his eyebrows as he reached over the edge of the pool and picked up Erin's beer from where he'd sat it on the ground under her chair, then handed her the bottle.

Choosing to ignore his comment – or compliment? – Erin just thanked him for the drink. "How was the gym?"

"Beautiful. You should see the machines. Way better than my gym in Chicago," Jay answered.

Erin nodded appreciatively. "Maybe I'll check it out in the morning."

"I'll go with you," Jay offered.

"Sounds like a plan," Erin said with a smile. They then fell into easy conversation, actually getting to know each other for the first time. Erin shared stories about Intelligence and Jay about Gangs. Erin finally learned Jay's last name and that Dr. Halstead, whom she always worked with when victims were brought to Med, was Jay's little brother and he was dating Dr. Manning, another doctor whom Erin frequently worked with. She'd always had the suspicion that they were together, but wasn't close enough with anyone to confirm it until right now. Erin wasn't as eager to open up about her family life, but told Jay some funny stories about her coworkers at the 21st and some of her friends at Firehouse 51, strategically leaving Kelly's name out of it. The two of them had lost track of how long they'd been talking, Erin sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water and Jay standing in the pool, between her legs, when Jay's stomach growled.

Erin let out another uncharacteristic giggle and thanked God that Jay didn't know her well enough to know that she did _not_ typically giggle. "Those strawberries weren't enough to hold you over?"

Jay smiled, shaking his head. "Guess not. Do you have dinner plans?"

"No sir," Erin said with a smile, butterflies taking flight in her stomach again at the thought of where this conversation was going.

"Well then," Jay's smile widened and he placed a hand on her knee. "Come to dinner with me?"

Erin's smile got bigger as well as Jay's hand burned a hole through her skin. "Are you asking me on a date, Halstead?"

"I mean, we're technically married, but yeah, I am," he squeezed her knee. "What do you say?"

Erin nodded as she placed a hand on top of his. "I would love to."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hi beautiful people! First off, I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the feedback on the last chapter, whether you reviewed, PMed me, or messaged me on Tumblr about it – you all made me smile and gave me the motivation to get another chapter out quickly, which I honestly thought was an impossible feat! I hope you all enjoy Chapter 3 just as much. Motivation/inspo is def still not at 100% so if you enjoy this or have any suggestions or ideas for the next chapter, please continue to leave a review or message me; it's appreciated more than you know! This is getting long but I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate you ppl always – happy reading xo_

 _Still own nothing!_

x

After more flirty banter and a few too many beers in the pool, hunger won out and Erin and Jay decided to go back to their room to get ready for their dinner date.

"Wait, can we stop at that snack stand by the elevator? I need fries to sober up a little," Erin asked with a laugh as she walked unsteadily down the deck.

"We're going to dinner! You're going to ruin your appetite," Jay told her, reaching a hand out to her shoulder to steady her.

Erin couldn't help but snort. "You clearly don't know me," she winked as she approached the snack stand and got in line behind two teenagers. "This stomach is a bottomless pit."

Jay raised is eyebrows as he looked at Erin's bikini clad body and took in her toned stomach. "You look like you eat a salad for every meal. With no dressing."

Erin snorted again, momentarily turning away from Jay to order a cup of fries. "I look like a rabbit? Didn't realize I had buckteeth," she retorted once she thanked the server and handed over her room key as a means of payment.

Jay laughed and was about to tell her that _no,_ she actually had the most beautiful smile and most perfect teeth he'd ever seen, but the server began to speak. "I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am,"

"Is everything okay?" Erin furrowed her brow as she took the card back from the employee.

"Oh, yes," the older woman said with a smile. "I swiped your card into the system and it says that all of your food has been comped as a result of your room mix-up. We're still really sorry about that." She continued to smile as she handed a cup of French fries over to Erin.

Both Erin and Jay's jaws dropped as the words exited the woman's mouth. "Oh," Erin gasped as she reached up to grab her snack. "Thank you so much," she continued, trying not to sound completely shocked.

"Of course. Enjoy your honeymoon, kids," the woman smiled at them one last time before looking past them to serve the next customers.

"Holy shit," Erin whispered to Jay once they were a safe distance away from the stand.

"I owe Barbara big time," Jay shook his head.

Erin rolled her eyes at the way Jay continued to regard the gate agent as his new best friend. "I'm beginning to think you'd rather take _Barbara_ to this complementary couple's massage," she joked.

"Oh no. No no," Jay said with a huge smile on his face as he reached out and stole a fry from the cup in Erin's hands.

"Hey!" Erin playfully swatted his hand away as they got into the elevator. "You're going to ruin your appetite," she mocked, her eyes never leaving his perfectly molded abs.

"You know what, keep being mean to me and maybe I will extend the massage invite to Barbara!" Jay teased.

Erin rolled her eyes again. "You wouldn't dare," she said with a smirk, extending the cup towards him again.

"You're damn right," he smirked back, greedily taking another handful of fries as the elevator approached the 10th floor.

Forty-five minutes later, Erin sat on the couch still hungry and impatiently scrolling through social media as she waited for Jay to emerge from the bathroom. She had let Jay shower first and since he'd gotten out of the shower, she herself had showered, blow-dried and curled her hair, done her makeup, picked out an outfit, and gotten dressed in said outfit. She flipped her camera onto selfie mode to check her appearance one more time before standing up, slipping on her heels, and making her way over to the bathroom door.

"Jay," she basically groaned through the door. "Are you almost ready?"

The door opened and the man in question came into view, a comb and a tube of hair gel in his left hand. "Wow, Erin. You look-"

"Save it," she said, a smirk on her face as she shook her head. "What is taking you so long? Have you really been doing your hair for almost an hour?"

Jay's cheeks flushed as he put his hair supplies down on the bathroom counter. "What!? No! It hasn't been that long!"

Erin snorted and couldn't help but smile at how cute he was when he was embarrassed as she checked the time on her cell phone. "Let's go. I'm starving."

Jay nodded in agreement and tried to discretely check his hair in the mirror one more time before he shut the bathroom light off, following Erin through the bedroom and to the exit of their room. She grabbed her purse off of the kitchen counter and double-checked that she had a room key as Jay grabbed his wallet. Once they were in the hallway, Jay reached down and grabbed Erin's hand, intertwining their fingers. She looked up at him, a small shy smile overtaking her face as she squeezed his hand as they approached the elevator once again.

"Where do you want to go for dinner?" Erin asked as they stepped inside.

"Doesn't matter to me," Jay shrugged. "What do you want?"

"That Mexican place looked really good," Erin commented on the cute green restaurant they'd seen upon first boarding the ship.

Jay made a face and opened his mouth to reject her suggestion but Erin picked up on his negative facial expressions and was quick to speak again. "You just said it didn't matter!"

Jay laughed at her pout. "I lied?" he said sheepishly. "What about Hibachi?"

Now Erin made a face. "If they try and squirt saké in my mouth, I promise I _will_ vomit on you."

"That's hot," Jay said sarcastically with a smirk as the elevator doors opened and let the pair off at ground level.

"You like it," Erin said smoothly, raising her eyebrows knowingly at Jay when he had no retort. "If you really want Japanese, we could just go to the sushi bar?"

Jay shook his head again. "Too hungry for sushi,"

Erin sighed as she tugged Jay's hand to stand off to the side of the walkway, as they were currently walking with no destination. "Marriage is exhausting."

Jay just smiled, squeezing her hand as he took in their surroundings. "Seafood?" he asked, seeing a fish house a little further down the deck.

"Sounds like a plan," Erin returned his smile as they began walking towards their newfound destination.

Jay didn't let go of her hand until they were seated at a small table inside the dimly lit restaurant. The host that seated them promised their waiter would be right over with their menus, and upon finding out what room they were staying in, a bottle of champagne for the newlyweds as well. Erin was thankful for the dark lighting so the host couldn't see the redness that was overtaking her cheeks as Jay beamed and thanked him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you owe Barbara," Erin said knowingly once the host had walked away.

Jay laughed but then shook his head. "Speaking of… when did you want to get those massages that started this whole thing?"

Erin thought back to their conversation in the Uber on the way to the cruise port; it felt like a lifetime ago, not twelve hours ago. What a whirlwind of a day it had been. As the realization hit her that she had only known Jay for a day – no, _half_ a day – doubt once again struck her and she realized how ridiculous what she was doing was. She had broken up with Kelly just over a month ago; she couldn't possibly be falling for someone new already. That wasn't her. She had loved Kelly so much and it had hurt so bad when he had started to change and become someone that she didn't even recognize anymore. Breaking off their relationship had been the hardest thing she'd had to do in a long time, and the thought of having to go through that pain again made her heart ache at the thought. _What was she doing?_ She couldn't do the whole relationship thing again any time soon, that was for sure. Her heart couldn't handle it. How could she be so careless as to be getting herself into this right now? Why had she agreed to a date tonight? Why had she agreed to share a room with this gorgeous, sweet man for the next 5 days? Why was she so okay with being pretend-married to him? She had barely gotten over her commitment-phobia to be with Kelly, but now all of her fears were back. And magnified. A million thoughts began to flood Erin's brain at once and she could both hear and feel her heart hammering in her chest.

"Hello? Erin?" Jay's soft voice broke her out of her chance and she felt a pang in her heart when she saw the concern in his eyes. "Are you okay? Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Yeah," Erin swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat. "I'm fine, sorry. What were you saying?"

Jay didn't look convinced, but continued anyway. "I said we're not supposed to dock in Grand Turk until noon tomorrow, so did you want to get a massage after the gym in the morning?"

"Sure," Erin said quietly, trying to push all of her negative thoughts out of her mind. Thankfully, at that moment the waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne and two flutes. He poured both each a glass of the bubbly liquid and handed them their menus before promising to be right back to take their orders.

"Are you sure you're good?" Jay asked, concern oozing from his voice.

"Mhm," Erin hummed noncommittally, opening her menu and trying to focus her attention on the small print in front of her.

Through the years, Erin had become a pro at hiding her emotions, so she pushed all of her fears to the back of her mind and tried her hardest to act normal and not ruin this dinner for Jay. After the waiter returned to take their order, Erin started a conversation about work. It was a safe topic, and even though she had already shared stories about her coworkers with Jay earlier, she never got tired of talking about some of the ridiculous cases that Intelligence caught. Jay was thankful that Erin seemed to have gotten over whatever happened inside her head at the beginning of dinner and he happily shared stories about what he saw in Gangs, even though it wasn't nearly as interesting as Erin's experience in IU. The conversation continued to flow and moved naturally from work to their favorite places in Chicago to more family stories – the more personal stories came mostly from Jay, but Erin mentioned a man named Hank a few times. Their food came and the easy conversation continued, Erin trying her hardest to keep it at surface level, a feat harder to accomplish with each sip of wine that she took.

"So are you…" As the question began to exit Jay's mouth, Erin knew exactly what was coming and tried not to show it on her face as her heart stopped in her chest. "Are you looking for a relationship right now?" he asked.

Erin opened her mouth to respond but then closed it again. Her heart was screaming _yes_ but her brain was shouting _no way in hell._ Still stuck in the fears that had enveloped her earlier in the evening, Erin shook her head as she tried to find her voice. "I… I just got out of a really serious relationship. I'm trying to focus on me right now, and I totally just realized that it seems like I'm leading you on and I'm so sorry because you seem-"

"Hey," Jay was quick to reach a hand across the table and grab one of Erin's. "You don't have to apologize. I get it, I'm really sorry to hear about your breakup,"

Erin wanted to cry at the concern that was once again clouding his eyes and she wished more than anything that her brain would let her tear down the walls that were built around her heart. "No, I'm sorry-"

"Seriously, Erin. Stop apologizing. We can just be friends, okay? Friends who happen to be 'married', but still," he said with a smirk, squeezing her hand before letting go and picking up his beer bottle and taking a long sip.

"You're amazing," she said softly, unable to stop the sinking feeling in her chest and the knots in her stomach that were telling her that she just majorly fucked up.

"Don't I know it," the smirk was still playing on his lips as he decided to change the subject. "So do you have plans for after we dock in Grand Turk tomorrow?"

Erin smiled gratefully at the subject change but shook her head. "No, I was thinking I'd probably just explore the island a little then lay out on the beach. How about you?"

"I actually signed up for a snorkeling excursion. I'm not really sure how much swimming I can do with my shoulder, but I figured it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Jay shrugged, his hand unconsciously going to rub the scar on his rotator cuff.

Erin nodded. "I get it. I booked this trip so late I didn't even look at the excursions offered, but I definitely won't hate laying on the beach all day,"

"Do you want to come? I'm sure we can get you signed up," Jay offered.

Erin was quick to shake her head as her heart sunk further into her chest at how much Jay seemingly wanted to spend time with her, and at how much she wanted to spend it with him. But she couldn't. "No, I think you need a break from me," she said with a laugh, trying to ensure her smile met her eyes. It didn't.

Jay looked like he was going to argue, but in the end he nodded. "We'll still spend the morning together, right? You still want to hit up the gym and the spa?"

"Of course," Erin said too quickly, wanting Jay to know that she really did want to be his friend.

"Good," Jay's smile was back as he stood up and motioned to their empty plates. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Erin stood up as well, allowing a small smile as she followed him out the door. "What are your plans for the rest of the night?"

Jay shrugged. "I'll probably go to that sports bar by the pool, see if they have the football game on. You?"

"I'm exhausted. I'm probably going to call it a night," Erin motioned in the direction of their room.

"You can come with me if you want," Jay offered, and Erin held back a sigh.

"I'm really tired," she lied, rejecting his offer. "What time do you want to go to the gym tomorrow, in case I'm asleep when you get back?"

"Seven?" he suggested.

Erin nodded. "Sounds good. Have a fun night," she said with a sad smile, gently squeezing Jay's arm as she began to walk in the direction of the elevator.

"Come down if you change your mind, you know where to find me!" Jay called after her, letting out a sad sigh as he watched her disappear down the walkway. He wondered where he went wrong; he could've sworn earlier in the day that Erin was interested in finding out where their relationship could go. She had to have noticed the chemistry between them. Jay sighed again and told himself not to let his ruin his night, or his week in general. She had promised to be his friend, and that was enough for him. For now.

Up in the room, Erin tossed and turned. This bed was so damn big and she couldn't help but wish Jay was next to her, but then she cursed herself for the thought. Then she cursed herself again for her damn commitment phobia.

Somewhere in the midst of her self-loathing, Erin must've fallen asleep because she woke up to the shrill ringing of her alarm at 6:30 the following morning. She smiled to herself as she heard Jay's snores coming from the living room, hating the relief that washed over her that he'd come back alone last night and hadn't ended up in another female's bed. She pulled the covers off of her and stood up, moving across the bedroom to grab her workout clothes from her suitcase.

By the time Erin emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready for their workout, Jay was sitting at the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee in front of him, scrolling through his phone.

"Hey," she said softly, alerting him of her presence.

"Hey," Jay's face lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw her and stood up to fill a mug of coffee for her.

"How was your night?" Erin asked, gratefully taking the steaming beverage from his hand and immediately taking a long sip.

"Good," _It would have been better if you were there,_ Jay thought. "Bears won,"

"That's good," Erin smiled. She reached for the remote to turn on the news and the two fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their coffees.

"You ready?" Jay asked as he put the empty mugs in the sink.

Erin nodded as she grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. "Lead the way."

The two parted ways once they reached the gym, Jay going to do his physical therapy exercise program and Erin wanting to do cardio. They met up again after their respective workouts, just in time for their much-anticipated couples massage. They were both looking forward to the massage much more than they would admit, not just because of the promised relaxation, but because it presented a way to spend more time together. Judging by Erin's behavior last night, Jay assumed that the together time would be limited so he'd have to take advantage of what he could get.

They checked into the spa and were given the celebrity treatment that seemed to be the new norm, the entire cruise ship staff seemingly knowing about their "room mix-up".

The massage ended up being exactly what they both needed and they both left the spa feeling a whole new level of relaxed and refreshed. Erin was thankful for the hour-long reprieve from the war between her heart and her head and Jay enjoyed the break from wondering where it had all gone wrong the night before. They headed back to their room afterwards, both changing into bathing suits and grabbing whatever they thought they would need for a day in the sun.

"Are you ready for your excursion?" Erin asked as they stood near the edge of the ship, watching the island they were approaching get closer and closer.

"I'm excited," Jay nodded. _I'd be more excited if you were coming, though,_ he thought. "You ready to get your tan on?" 

"If by tan, you mean burn, then you got it," Erin said with a laugh, looking down at her pale skin.

"I feel that," Jay smiled, looking down at his own freckled skin. They stood in a comfortable silence, both stuck in their own thoughts, watching Grand Turk getting bigger and bigger as they got closer, until Jay's phone began to ring.

He pulled the phone out of his pocket, squinting to see the screen in the sun. "That was my alarm. I have to go meet the guide by the rear gate so we're ready to go when the ship docks," he announced.

Erin nodded. "Have fun," she tried her hardest to sound cheerful, but it probably didn't work.

"Thanks. Don't forget to wear sunscreen," Jay said with a wink as he began to walk way.

"Touché," Erin called after him. "See you later."

xo

Once again, Erin found herself laying in the sun and trying to read her book but unable to stop the thoughts of Jay floating around in her mind. She'd been alone for about four hours now and wondered when he was coming back from his excursion. She groaned as she checked the time on her phone for the fifth time since he'd left, beginning to wonder if she had made the wrong decision. When she first met Kelly, honestly during even the first few months of dating, he wasn't on her mind anywhere near as much as Jay had been in the past 24 hours. Maybe she should've listened to her heart and the million signs she'd been given from above throughout the past day and given the guy a chance.

And just in case she needed another sign, as she looked up from her phone, the small boat that Jay had taken on from hours ago was docking at shore. Erin debated going to meet him on the dock, knowing she was giving him mixed signals but also genuinely excited to see him and hear about his trip, and to see how his shoulder was feeling after all the exercise of the day. She sat up a little straighter, trying to make out the figures getting off of the boat.

Erin heard him before she saw him, that laugh echoing over both the waves and Caribbean music blasting from the beach bar. She couldn't help the smile that overtook her face at the sound, but the smile disappeared quickly when she saw just what, or rather who, he was laughing at.

A woman, definitely younger than Erin, had gotten off the boat behind Jay. She had long, wavy blonde hair that looked perfectly styled despite the fact that she had likely been swimming in the ocean all day. She was tan, and her perfectly defined six-pack made Erin almost self-conscious enough want to wear a one-piece. The two were in animated conversation, and whatever she was saying was making Jay crack up. At the sight of him flirting with this blonde bimbo, Erin felt a pain in her chest even more intense than the one she'd felt after she turned Jay down yesterday. Erin watched the blonde woman playfully swat Jay's arm, earning another burst of laughter, and felt her blood boil. Why the fuck was she so jealous? She had no right, she reminded herself. She literally told the man that she just wanted to be friends less than twenty-four hours ago. As her heart and mind got into yet another battle, Erin took a long sip of the margarita sitting below her lounge chair and thought _fuck it._ She was giving the guy a chance. Maybe it was fate.

Chugging the rest of her margarita, Erin stood up and put her unread book down on her chair to reserve the spot. She looked towards the water, quickly spotting Jay and Barbie. Taking a deep breath, she quickly made her way down the beach to where the two of them were standing facing the water with their backs to her. She approached quietly, clearing her throat to make her presence known.

Jay turned around and a smile immediately overtook his face, making butterflies erupt in Erin's stomach and further reinforcing that she was making the right choice.

"Hey, Erin," Jay smiled. "This is-"

Erin interrupted him before he could introduce the two women, reaching out and grabbing his bicep, ignoring the daggers being shot at her by Barbie. "Can we talk?"


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: My lovely readers, I'm not sure how I pulled this one off but here is another update for you. I can't thank you enough for all of your feedback, suggestions, and overall motivation. I've loved being able to get these past few updates written and posted fast, but I hate to say that school and work are both heating up for me so unfortunately this may be it for a little while, so I hope it's worth it!_

 _bushferlove; I played with your suggestion a little and incorporated it into the end of this chapter so I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for all of your ideas!_

 _Happy reading, beautiful people! Please review! xo_

 _PS: All of my thoughts and prayers go out to anyone affected by the horrible tragedies in Vegas yesterday._

 _Still don't own anything!_

"Is everything okay?" Jay asked, allowing Erin to pull him away from the other woman.

"Yes. No. I don't know," Erin sighed, leading Jay a little further down the beach to ensure Barbie or anyone else didn't overhear their conversation.

"What is it?" he asked gently as they came to a stop, Erin turning to face him so they were standing chest to chest.

"I…" she sighed, staring at a small seashell near his feet as she tried to find words. "I fucked up,"

"What are you talking about?" Jay was confused; unsure of what she could have possibly gotten herself into in the four hours he'd been gone.

"Last night. I lied," Never one to talk about her feelings, Erin continue to spit out choppy sentences that made zero sense to the man she was speaking to.

"Did you not go back to the room after dinner?" Jay prepared for the worse, expecting Erin to tell him that she had met another guy and spent the night with him; a sinking feeling in his chest at the thought.

"No!" Erin said quickly, knowing it was now or never. "Last night, when you asked me if I was looking for a relationship. I said no, because I did just go through a really messy breakup and I have this thing called commitment-phobia and I shouldn't be developing feelings for someone new this fast but-"

Jay couldn't help the smile that overtook his face at her rambling, because despite her talking around the actual problem he knew exactly what she was trying to say. "Hey," he interrupted Erin, trying to give her a chance to catch her breath and find the rest of her words. "I get it,"

"You do?" she asked quietly, finally looking up to meet his eyes with a look of disbelief on her face.

"It took a lot for you to open up in your last relationship. And you got hurt, so you don't think it was worth it. And you don't want to go through that again, so it would be easier just to push everyone away and be alone than to let someone else in who could potentially gain the power to hurt you," Jay said matter-of-factly, his blue eyes locked into Erin's hazel ones as her jaw dropped.

"I-" Erin's head was spinning and at this point she was pretty sure she'd forgotten how to speak the English language.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Erin. We don't have to rush into anything. But the past two days have been filled with so many small signs that a lot of people would describe as 'fate', so I think we'd be fooling both of ourselves if we didn't at least try to see if this could be something. Just give me one real first date tonight. Not with two people pretending to be married. Not with two people trying to push away their feelings. Just us. Erin and Jay. How does that sound?"

A real smile appeared on Erin's face for the first time since she'd woken up that morning and she felt herself nodding. "That sounds good,"

"Come here," Jay reached forward and pulled her small body into his, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his torso. Erin settled against his chest and listened to his hammering heart, proof that even though he was good with words, this was just as scary to him as it was to her.

"Thank you," Erin mumbled against his chest.

"What are you thanking me for? I didn't do anything," Jay pulled away so he could see her face. "Yet," he added with a wink to try to lighten up the situation.

Erin smiled again. "For just being you. I've smiled more in the past two days than I had in probably the last two months in Chicago,"

Jay took pride in that as he let go of Erin's shoulders and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers to lead her away from the water and back towards the lounge chairs. "Same," he admitted, squeezing her fingers.

Erin allowed a small smile at that as she pointed out the chair she'd previously been sitting in. Jay dragged an empty lounge chair next to it, settling down in it as Erin moved her book out of the way and reclaimed her old seat.

"So," Jay started, rolling onto his side so he could look at Erin. "Where do you want to go to dinner tonight?"

Erin laughed, having déjà vu of the previous night. "I don't care,"

"Come on," Jay laughed too, the same memories replaying in his mind. "Top three favorite meals. Go."

"That's so hard!" Erin whined, rolling to her side to match Jay. "Um… burgers, any kind of pasta, tacos. You?"

"Burgers," Jay agreed with a smile. "Then probably pizza, and Purple Pig truffles."

"Oh my god," Erin practically moaned at the thought. "Those are definitely number one,"

Jay couldn't help but laugh at how similar they were. "There's definitely no Purple Pig on the ship, but I'll figure something out. Should we go get ready? I'm starving."

Erin nodded. "Oh yeah. You need all the time you can muster to get ready," she said with a laugh.

"Hey! I have curly hair!" Jay defended, standing up and offering a hand to help Erin up.

"Mhmmm," Erin laughed with an eye roll, accepting his hand and not letting go as they began to walk back towards where the ship was docked.

"We can't all be as naturally beautiful as you," he said smoothly, looking down at her. Her wavy hair was damp from what Jay assumed was a dip in the ocean earlier, and her face was slightly sunburned but the sun had brought out a few freckles to dust her cheeks. There wasn't an ounce of makeup on her face but she still looked gorgeous.

"Shut up," Erin shook her head, unconsciously moving closer to him as they boarded the cruise ship.

After they got on the ship, they made a beeline straight to their room, both wanting their date to begin as soon as possible. Erin let Jay shower first again, knowing that he needed the extra time. As he showered, she sat on the couch and grabbed her cell phone to check on how things were going at home. Of course, she had a bunch of messages from her best friend, Kim, who wanted to see how things were going for her and make sure she was enjoying herself.

 _K: You are so lucky you're not working this week. I've never done so much paperwork in my life. Are you having a good time?_

 _E: Aw I'm sorry! But yeah it's been great, I'm happy you and Annie convinced me to go! Also I might have met someone…_

 _K: Erin! That's great! What's he like!? I'm so happy for you!_

 _E: Calm down! We're taking it slow because, ya know, commitment phobia… but he's actually a detective down at the 15_ _th_ _. He's great._

 _K: I really am happy for you, Er. Don't let Kelly ruin this for you._

 _E: Thanks, Kim. I'm trying._

Erin sighed as she heard the shower turn off. She shut her phone back off and threw it in her purse, heading into the bedroom to get everything she needed to shower.

Jay smiled at Erin as they walked past each other, her entering the bathroom as he left. The second he heard the shower start to run, he threw on a t-shirt and a pair of running shorts, grabbed his flip flops and wallet, and ran out of the room to set his plan into action.

xo

When Erin got out of the shower, Jay was nowhere to be found and she groaned, knowing that now it would take him even longer to get ready and she was _starving._ As if he was reading her mind, she heard the door unlock and he re-entered the room.

"Where were you?" Erin asked him as she walked out of the bedroom, laughing at his shocked expression.

Jay almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Erin's voice; he hadn't expected her to be out of the shower yet and he definitely didn't have a cover story. "I, uh, went to go thank Barbara for everything she did for us."

Erin couldn't help but laugh again. "Now you're sneaking off to see her? Jay, if you can't get over Barbara, I'm not sure this relationship will ever work out," she said playfully.

Jay breathed a sigh of relief, for both that she had bought his story and that she had mentioned a potential _relationship_ with him. "Hey, this is all thanks to her,"

"I know," Erin acknowledged, the smile still on her face. "Now can you please start to get ready so we can eat before midnight?"

"Stop being so dramatic," Jay said with a laugh. "Can you do me a favor so I can get ready?"

"Anything to get you started on that hair," Erin smirked. "What is it?"

"Would you mind going down to the convenience store by the pool and getting me a bottle of Advil? My shoulder is gonna kill in the morning from swimming all day," Jay asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"I think I have some, let me check my bag-" Erin began, turning to go back into the bedroom.

"No!" Jay said quickly, causing Erin to turn around in shock. "Can you just go get me a bottle? I'm going to need a lot,"

Erin raised her eyebrows skeptically but nodded. "Sure…"

"You're the best!" Jay smiled sweetly; opening the door for her and breathing a sigh of relief once she walked out.

xo

Erin slowly walked back to the room, almost afraid to go back in and face Jay. _Why had he been acting so weird?_

Jay heard the key in the lock and took a deep breath, adjusting the flower vase in the middle of the kitchen table. The door opened and turned around when he heard the clicking of Erin's heels against the tile come to an abrupt stop.

"Jay," she gasped, taking in the sights of the kitchen. "What is this?"

"Happy first date," he said with a smile. "I'm going to prove to you that it's worth this to give this a shot."

Erin opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again and instead wiped the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. No one had ever done anything like this for her before. Two huge burgers sat on the kitchen table, a vase of flowers separating them. Three trays of different types of pasta sat on the kitchen counter next to bottles of red, white, and rosé wine. Candles were randomly lit around the kitchen area and there was a dessert tray hidden near the end of the counter. She quickly crossed the room and enveloped Jay in a hug. "Thank you," she mumbled into his neck, knowing he was right. It was so worth it to give this a shot.

Jay squeezed her tight, pressing a kiss into her hair. "Let's eat before it gets cold,"

Erin nodded, releasing him and moving to sit at the table. "This smells _so_ good. How did you do this?"

Jay smiled as he sat across from her. "Well, we definitely had something in common with the burger obsession. And I checked the restaurant brochure and there was really no place that advertised good burgers, so I called the front desk and they said that because of the room mix-up, they would arrange VIP room service."

"Jay, this is seriously amazing. No one's ever done anything like this for me before," Erin praised before lifting the massive burger to her mouth and taking a huge bite. Jay watched her with a smile on his face as she moaned her approval.

"Something tells me you're worth it." The smile stayed on his face as he mirrored her actions and took a bite of his own burger.

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their burgers, one of them occasionally asking the other a random question in an effort to get to know each other better.

"Dessert?" Jay asked Erin as he stood to refill their wine glasses, noting that her plate had finally been cleared of the cheeseburger, fries, and pasta.

"Jay, I'm _stuffed,_ " Erin smiled appreciatively as she held out her glass and Jay poured the red liquid into it.

"There's always room for lemon bars," Jay said with a smirk, picking up the dessert tray from the end of the counter and placing it in the middle of the table.

"Are you serious?" Erin's jaw dropped as she looked at the yellow dessert in front of her.

"Think they're as good as the ones at Purple Pig?" Jay asked, picking up a square and putting it on Erin's plate.

"That's impossible," Erin challenged, picking up the dessert and bringing to her mouth. Taking a bite, she moaned again. "Fuck. Never mind."

Jay let out a hearty laugh as he picked up his own lemon bar and took a bite. "Shit," he agreed. "These definitely beat the Pig."

Erin finished off her small square and pushed her plate towards the middle of the table. "That was seriously amazing Jay, but I'm literally never eating again."

Jay shook his head. "Sorry to break your plans, but tomorrow morning is the Honeymooner's Brunch,"

"The _what?"_ Erin raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Honeymooner's Brunch," Jay repeated, as if it was obvious. "The ship has a private dining room and once during each trip, they invite all of the couples on their honeymoon for a huge brunch."

"And we're going? Jay, we're not actually on our honeymoon, remember?" Erin shook her head, taking a sip from her wine glass.

"Come on, Erin. It's definitely going to have the best food this ship has to offer," Jay pouted, breaking out the puppy dog eyes.

Erin sighed at the sight of his pout. "Fine."

As Jay opened his mouth to thank her, the sound of fireworks was heard outside of their window. Both of their heads snapped towards the sound and Jay quickly stood up and opened the door to the balcony, reaching for Erin's hand to pull her outside with him.

"I didn't even know they could set off fireworks on ships," Erin said in awe, leaning against the balcony railing as she stared at the sparks of color lighting up the sky.

"Me either," Jay moved behind Erin, putting his hands around the railing on either side of her and leaning against her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Erin smiled as she moved one hand to cover Jay's on the railing and brought the other up to cup his cheek at the side of her head.

"This night has been perfect," she whispered, turning her head so she could see him.

"It has," Jay agreed softly, his baby blue eyes locked into her hazel green ones.

Erin turned her body so her back was to the ocean and she was pressed against Jay, moving her other hand to his opposite cheek as she held his head steady. Her gaze flickered from Jay's eyes down to his lips and he knew what was coming.

"Are you sure?" he asked, moving his hands from the railing down to her hips.

Erin nodded gently, rising onto her tiptoes as she leaned in and Jay met her halfway. Their lips touched and Erin felt a shock throughout her whole body. The kiss was gentle; slow and unrushed, both of them taking their time to get to know the other but also feeling like they'd been doing this their whole lives. When her lungs were finally screaming for air, Erin pulled back and took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering open and taking a second to refocus.

Jay's eyes opened slowly as well, and he took a second to speak. "That was… wow."

"Yeah," Erin agreed breathily, moving her hands down from Jay's cheeks to around his neck and reaching up to peck his lips one more time. As if on cue, the fireworks got louder, the grand finale capturing their attention in its last moments.

"Good first date, huh?" Jay asked with a smile as the noise of the rockets died down and it was silent other than the lapping of the waves on the side of the ship.

"It was alright," Erin said with a smirk, lightening up the situation. At Jay's playfully hurt expression, she shook her head. "Kidding. Best I've ever had."

"Same," Jay agreed, pulling her in for a hug. "Thank you for agreeing to give me a chance,"

"Thank you for everything you did tonight. I mean it, no one has ever done anything like this for me before," Erin mumbled against his chest, never wanting to move from his embrace.

"Something tells me this is just the beginning," Jay promised, squeezing her tight. Erin let out a content sigh into his shirt, for once not terrified at the thought of a second date.

Jay slept in the California king with her that night.

xo

Erin woke up the next morning with her head on Jay's chest and the feeling of his arms wrapped around her. She smiled at the feeling and placed a kiss against his bare sternum.

"Good morning," he mumbled, and she lifted her head to see his face.

"Morning," she said with a laugh as she took in his disheveled appearance. "All of the time you spent on that hair last night for nothing, huh?"

Jay shook his head, removing an arm from around her waist to smooth down his bedhead. "You like it," he shot back.

"Definitely not the worst thing to wake up to," Erin agreed with a smile before looking at the clock on the bedside table. "Do you want to go to the gym before brunch?"

Jay nodded and they both got out of bed, performing their respective morning routines to get ready for their workout. They left the room together hand in hand and separated only when they reached the workout area, Jay wishing Erin luck with a peck on the cheek and squeeze of the ass, earning a playful eye roll and slap to the pec.

Like the day before, they met up again after their workouts and headed back up to their room to get ready for the day. Still full from the night before, Erin still was not the biggest fan of the thought of brunch but Jay seemed excited about it, so she would deal. She chose to wear a white sundress that complimented the small tan she'd received the day prior and paired it with a pair of teal flip flops and a statement necklace.

"You look beautiful," Jay smiled as she emerged from the bathroom. "Ready?"

Erin smiled shyly then nodded and the two made their way down to the private dining room. The small room contained six round tables; all with four chairs each, in the middle and was lined with buffet tables with every brunch dish imaginable.

Jay's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning at the sight of all the food and Erin couldn't help but smile at his excitement, despite the slight shock that he could possibly be hungry after all of the calories they'd consumed the previous night. Because they were a little late due to their gym trip, the room had begun to fill up so they took a seat at a table that was already occupied by another couple.

"Hey," Jay smiled as he and Erin sat down across from them. "I'm Jay, this is my wife Erin."

"Hello," the woman on the other side of the table smiled warmly. "I'm Megan and this is my husband Josh. It's nice to meet you guys,"

"Likewise," Erin smiled and the two couples fell into an easy conversation. It was surface level; learning about where everyone was from, why they chose this cruise, and general introductory facts about each other until they got up to join the buffet line and get food.

Upon returning to the table with full plates, Megan threw a curveball at the couple. "So tell us, how did you guys meet?"

Jay almost choked on his coffee and threw Erin a panicked look as she froze mid-bite of her croissant.

"I, uh-" Jay stuttered and Erin would've laughed at how distressed he looked if she wasn't mid-panic attack herself. _Get it together,_ she yelled at herself, _you two are detectives for God's sake. You go undercover and pretend to be other people for a damn living._

"We met at church." "We met at a car show." Erin and Jay said at the same time. _Shit._

"We met through a car show for our church," Erin clarified, shooting Jay a glare. "Jay loves cars,"

Erin let out a sigh of relief as the newlyweds across from them seemed to buy their story. "I'm a car person too! What's your favorite classic model?" Josh asked Jay, his eyes lighting up.

Erin bit back another laugh as she saw Jay's face drop and realized he knew literally nothing about cars.

"The… uh… the Dodge Vixen," Jay answered, hoping his cheeks weren't as flushed as they felt.

Josh's face dropped and Erin's laugh finally escaped at both of their expressions, Josh's confusion and Jay's fear.

"You mean the Viper?" Josh clarified, a skeptical look still on his face.

At that, Erin lost it. She laughed loudly, tears quickly clouding her vision as she tried to calm herself down. "I'm sorry," she apologized, the smile still on her face. "It's still a new hobby for him,"

The couple across from them nodded uncertainly, but gratefully moved on. "You said you're from Chicago, right?"

Erin and Jay both nodded, thankful for a question they actually knew the answer to.

"What part?"

"Shakespeare District," Jay answered.

"Bridgeport," Erin said at the same time.

"I just moved to Bridgeport a few years ago. That's when I met Er. But uh, I grew up near Wrigley. Still work in the police district out there." Jay said quickly, shooting a look at Erin to let her know they needed to get _out_ of there.

Erin picked up on the hint and glanced at her cellphone that was lying face down on the table. She quickly grabbed it and brought it up to her ear. "Hello?" she said into it and pretended to listen to someone on the other end.

"Babe, we gotta go. The kids are locked out of the room," Erin quickly covered, not realizing what she'd said.

Jay's jaw dropped but he nodded, glancing at the other couple apologetically and trying to ignore their shocked expressions. "Nice to meet you guys," he said quickly, standing up and ushering Erin out of the dining room.

The second they were out the door, the two stopped in their tracks and burst into hysterics.

"Jay," Erin laughed. "The _Vixen_?"

"Erin!" Jay shook his head, fighting to speak through his laughter. "The _kids_?"

"What!?" Erin exclaimed.

"The kids are locked out of the room? That was your excuse to leave!" Jay laughed harder when he realized that Erin had no recollection of her excuse.

"Oh. My. God." Erin covered her eyes with her hands, her jaw dropping. "If we ever see them again I'm going to have to jump overboard! Jay, that was so embarrassing. Like an actual train wreck."

"It gets worse, babe," Jay said, pulling her hands away from her face and holding them.

"How!? It can't!" Erin shook her head.

"You were holding the phone upside down."


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't believe it's over," Erin sighed sadly, resting her head on Jay's shoulder as they waited for the plane to take off. As luck, or fate, would have it, their assigned plane seats for the flight back to Chicago were next to each other once again.

"Hey," Jay placed a kiss on the top of her head, letting his lips linger for a moment. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened,"

Despite her sadness, Erin snorted at his adage. "Has anyone ever told you that you're too corny for your own good?"

"Yeah, you," Jay said, smiling at her smile. "About 50 times in the past five days, to be exact,"

"Well it's true," Erin laughed, lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him. "Thank you for this week," she said sincerely, sobering up the conversation.

"Why do you keep thanking me?" Jay asked, reaching an arm around her shoulder to pull her as close to him as their plane seats would allow.

"Because," Erin sighed as she reached a hand up to intertwine their fingers, "I couldn't tell you the last time someone treated me like this. You've been so sweet and I really just had the best week with you,"

"Erin," Jay breathed. They'd had a few serious conversations while getting to know each other in the past few days, but Erin had remained tightlipped about her past. Jay could tell, however, that for some reason she did not think she was worthy of love, and it broke his heart. "You don't have to thank me. The past few days have been some of the best of my life. I kinda like you, ya know."

Erin smiled again, giving in to the urge to reach up and peck his lips despite her hatred of PDA. "That's good, because I kinda like you too,"

Jay chuckled as he pushed her head down back to rest on his shoulder as the plane took off. "You should get some rest, something tells me the criminals of Chicago are gonna kick our asses tomorrow morning,"

Erin groaned, burrowing her head deeper into Jay's shirt. "Don't remind me," she pouted. She was excited to see her team again and get back into the bullpen, but she knew that being back to detective work was going to severely limit her time with Jay. IU's long and unpredictable hours and brutal cases had played a huge role in her breakup with Kelly, and she feared they would take a toll on her relationship with Jay as well.

"It's gonna be fine," Jay murmured into her hair, as if he was reading her mind. He'd had a feeling that getting back to real life in Chicago would cause Erin to close herself off and rethink her decision of giving their relationship a shot, and he was determined to not let that happen.

"How do you know?" she asked quietly, wondering how after just five days he could already read her mind.

"Because I want this, Erin. And I know that deep down, you do too. We'll take it slow, your pace. You can call the shots, but please, just promise me that you'll give this a chance?"

"Okay," Erin nodded into his shoulder, once again amazed at his way with words. "I promise,"

Jay beamed, despite the fact that she couldn't see his face. "Thank you," he whispered. He felt Erin press a gentle kiss to his neck, and not long after, her breathing evened out and he knew she'd fallen asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was no longer stuck in her thoughts, and rested his head on top of hers to get his own rest for the remainder of the flight.

The next thing Jay knew, he and Erin were walking hand in hand through O'Hare, and his heart dropped at the thought of having to say goodbye to her for the first time in five days. For the first time ever, really.

"You said you took a cab here, right? At least let me drive you home. My car's in the garage," Jay practically begged, desperate for a few more minutes with her.

Erin smiled and squeezed his hand but shook her head. "My friend Kim is already here to pick me up."

The couple came to a stop just before the exit of the airport, and Jay let out a sad sigh. Erin turned to face him, grabbing his other hand and squeezing them both tight. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Jay nodded, leaning in for one last kiss. Once again breaking her no PDA rule, Erin happily obliged. "Bye, Erin," he said sadly as they broke apart.

"Bye, Jay," she gave his hands one last squeeze then turned around to exit through the automatic doors, already looking for Kim's car. At the last second before the doors closed, she turned back around to see Jay still staring. "Text me," she mouthed with a wink before the doors shut and she was alone for the first time in nearly a week.

xo

"Tell me everything," Kim demanded as she turned out of the airport parking lot.

Erin rolled her eyes and feigned annoyance. "Like what?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, like this mystery man who has you so crushed out in just five days?" Kim side eyed her blushing friend before turning her attention back to the road.

"I am not crushed out!" Erin denied, a little too fast for her declaration to hold any truth.

"Riiiight," Kim rolled her eyes. "So a detective, huh? You know what they say, 'opposites attract, but the like-minded last.'"

Erin snorted and was about to retort when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and couldn't help but smile when she saw the screen lighting up with a text message from Jay that read, _I miss you already._

"Oh my gosh, that's totally him! Erin Lindsay is smiling at a text message! You are so crushed out." Kim exclaimed giddily once she saw Erin's reaction to a simple phone notification.

"Whatever," Erin mumbled, turning her attention to the streets of Chicago through the window.

"Erin," Kim said, turning serious. "All kidding aside, I could tell you really like the guy through the few texts you sent me this week. And you look so happy right now. Let yourself have this."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Erin sighed, not removing her gaze from the window.

"Everyone?" Kim questioned, curious about who else Erin had confided in.

Erin sighed again, realizing her exaggeration. "Not everyone. Just you and Jay, I guess,"

"Jay? Is that his name?" Kim asked, turning onto Erin's street.

"Yeah," Erin nodded. "Jay Halstead."

"That sounds _so_ familiar…" Kim said, racking her brain to try and figure out where she'd heard the name before. "He's a detective, you said?"

"Mhm," Erin nodded again, suddenly nervous about where Kim had heard the name before. "You've heard of him?"

"Yeah, but I can't remember where…" Kim sighed in frustration. "I'll have to ask Adam when I get home,"

"No!" Erin exclaimed.

"What?" Kim raised her eyebrows as she parked the car in front of Erin's apartment and turned to look at her friend. "Why not?"

"I just…" Erin sighed. "Please don't tell anyone yet, okay? I'll tell them when I'm ready."

Kim nodded in understanding. "Of course. But Erin, please give the guy a chance. He is _not_ Kelly. You have to let someone in. You deserve all of the happiness in the world, stop hiding from it."

"Thanks, Kim," Erin said softly, reaching for the door handle. "I'm really trying, okay?"

"That's all I ask," Kim smiled softly, reaching to squeeze Erin's hand before she got out of the car. "See you tomorrow,"

Erin nodded as she exited the vehicle and grabbed her bag. "See you at work. Thanks again," she waved to her friend then shut the car door, excited to fall into her own bed for the first time in nearly a week.

xo

"Linds!" Atwater exclaimed as Erin reached the top of the bullpen stairs the following morning. "Damn girl, furlough did you good. You look great."

"Thanks, Kev," Erin smiled as she dropped her coat on her desk and immediately walked into the break room in search of coffee.

"Hey, Erin. Lookin' tan," Ruzek greeted her from the counter. "How do I get myself a paid week off _and_ a cruise?"

"It helps when you stop taking sick days every time you have a headache," Erin teased, handing him a mug to fill with coffee for her.

"Ouch," Ruzek rolled his eyes as he passed the now full mug back to her. "You look… different."

"It's called happiness," Kim announced as she walked into the break room, earning a glare from Erin.

"What?" Ruzek questioned, thankfully not picking up on Kim's hint.

"Yeah, happy to be back," Erin said, sending Kim another glare as she walked back out into the bullpen.

No one else had arrived yet, so Erin sat down at her desk and pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket. Before she could overthink it, she typed out and sent a quick message to Jay: _Have a good first day back at work. Be safe. –E._

The response was almost immediate. _Good morning beautiful. It's been 8 minutes and desk duty already sucks. Be safer. –J._ Erin smiled; she could practically hear his whiny tone through the message, but she wasn't able to wipe the goofy grin off of her face fast enough.

"Oooh, Lindsay is smiling at her phone. Who's the man?" Ruzek asked immediately and Erin groaned.

"You and Kim spend too much time together," she muttered under her breath before raising her voice. "It was Nadia telling me she passed her first academy practice exam, if you must know," Erin lied, praying to God none of them would see their old colleague anytime soon to try and validate that information.

"If you say so," Adam shrugged, going back to his paper football match with Kevin.

The day drug on, proving to be another one of the "paperwork days" that Kim had complained about so much while Erin was away. As soon as the clock hit 6:00, Adam was in Voight's doorway begging their boss for permission to leave. Permission was quickly granted, and the next thing Erin knew Adam was bouncing up and down in front of her desk.

"Come on, Erin, come to Molly's with us to celebrate your first day back. We haven't seen you in _forever,"_

"It was literally less than a week, Ruz," Erin shook her head as she shut down her computer. She really had missed her team. "But fine, only if you're buying,"

Adam rolled his eyes. "You're the one with the fancy detective's salary,"

"You're the one begging me to hang out with you," Erin shot back.

"Fine," he groaned. "First round."

"And second," Erin countered.

"Deal," Adam agreed, clearly pleased with himself. "Let's go!" he announced to the bullpen, leading the whole team, sans Voight and Olinsky, down the stairs.

xo

"How was your trip?" Antonio asked, sliding into the seat next to Erin at the bar.

"It was good. Really good, actually," Erin smiled as she took a sip of her beer. "It was nice to get away, but I missed you guys,"

"We missed you too. Voight is always extra cranky when you're gone," Atwater teased from the other side of Erin.

Erin rolled her eyes. "That's just because I'm not there to keep you all in line," she teased back. She was about to ask Antonio how his kids were doing when she caught a whiff of a newly familiar cologne and whipped around on her stool.

She heard him before she saw him, that unmistakable laugh that had quickly become her favorite sound. He had just walked in the door and was being greeted by a group of guys who were saying how great it was to have him back. Erin excused herself from Dawson and Atwater and their confused looks and made her way over to the other side of the bar.

His back was to her, but she had no doubt in her mind that it was him as she reached out and placed a hand on his bicep. Then he turned around, and his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Erin!" Jay exclaimed, immediately abandoning his conversation and pulling her in for a hug. "I had no idea you would be here, I would have-"

"Hey," Erin laughed, squeezing him back. "Last minute plans with the team. But I'm so glad you're here,"

"Me too," Jay smiled as he released her, pulling back to look in her eyes. "God, I missed you."

"Jay, it's been 24 hours," Erin joked, trying to hide the fact that she missed him even more.

"Doesn't matter," Jay shook his head, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek. "You look beautiful,"

Erin just shook her head, not even bothering to bring up the argument that she was running on 4 hours of sleep and had just sat at a desk staring at a computer screen for 10 hours. "Come on, there's some people I want you to meet." She gestured towards her team in the back corner of the bar.

"Really?" Jay asked, shocked that his commitment-phobe girl already wanted to introduce him to some of the most important people in her life.

"If we're gonna do this… they're bound to find out eventually, right?" she asked, a smile erupting on her face as she saw relief and happiness flood Jay's baby blues.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that," Jay said with a huge smile as he leaned in to capture her lips.

"Jay! PDA!" Erin murmured against his lips, but made no move to pull back.

"Hey, they were gonna find out eventually, right?" Jay teased, pecking her lips once more.

Erin shook her head playfully as she pulled away and grabbed Jay's hand and pulled him towards her team, who were staring at her with dropped jaws and wide eyes, clearly having witnessed the past few minutes.

"Guys… there's someone I want you to meet," Erin announced as Jay slipped an arm around her waist. "This is Jay Halstead, my… boyfriend. Jay, this is some of my team. Antonio, Kevin, Adam, and Kim."

"Halstead!" Atwater exclaimed, standing from his barstool to engulf Jay in a bear hug.

"Wait… what?" Now it was Erin's jaw that dropped. "You two know each other?"

"We went through the academy together!" Jay explained excitedly. "Dude, I had no idea you were in IU! Good for you!"

" _That's_ why the name sounded so familiar!" Kim exclaimed, finally putting the pieces together. "You've totally told me stories about him before, Kev!"

"Definitely, Burgess. This dude right here is one hell of a sharp shooter," Atwater slapped Jay on the back.

"This is so weird," Erin shook her head, elated that all of her favorite humans got along but still in shock.

Jay tightened his hold on Erin's waist and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Add another bullet point to the list of reasons that this is fate,"

Erin just shook her head in disbelief as she leaned further back into Jay, but she couldn't find a reason to argue with him. He was right. This seemed more and more like fate with every second that passed.


End file.
